Inside moments of Maryland Democrat Chris Van Hollen saying his intention to challenge Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a race to guide subsequent 12 months’s Senate Democratic majority, endorsements started flying in favor of each candidates.
Van Hollen branded himself as an “underdog” whereas saying his candidacy throughout an interview on MS Now Thursday night time. However he additionally mentioned he’d garnered the help of at the very least 10 senators — sufficient to boost eyebrows about his potential to shake up caucus dynamics.
“We shouldn’t be preserving our establishments if they don’t seem to be delivering for the American individuals, and we needs to be making delivering for the American individuals the only mission of our authorities, even when meaning shaking issues up, and that’s the reason I am operating for almost all chief in america Senate,” Van Hollen mentioned throughout a summit occasion in Denver, Colorado on Friday.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen speaks throughout the “What’s Subsequent” post-midterm election convention by the Democratic Social gathering in Denver, Colorado, November 13, 2026.
Kevin Mohatt/Reuters
Help from newly elected senators
Already, Van Hollen has garnered important help amongst some members of the incoming freshmen class.
“The American public spoke clearly final week. They rejected Trumpism. However now we have but to earn our mandate. That can require daring management. I known as on Sen. @ChrisVanHollen to guide our caucus as a candidate again in April as a result of he leads with braveness and expertise. We want each proper now. Which is why I’m proud to face with him in his bid to guide our Senate majority,” Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed posted on X Thursday night time.
Senator-elect Peggy Flanagan arrives on the US Capitol for the a hundred and twentieth Congress new member orientation conferences in Washington, November 9, 2026.
Kylie Cooper/Reuters
Minnesota Sen.-elect Peggy Flanagan additionally threw her help behind Van Hollen.
“Minnesotans are demanding change. Democrats have to ship. That begins with new voices in our management. I consider @ChrisVanHollen is the chief and fighter we have to result in actual change, so no American is left behind,” Flanagan posted on X on Friday morning.
It’s not simply new members backing Van Hollen. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a longtime face of the progressive motion, known as for a change in management earlier than backing Van Hollen.
“This election was about CHANGE. The Democratic Social gathering should CHANGE. Now’s the time to tackle the oligarchs and combat for working households,” Sanders posted on X. “That’s the reason I shall be supporting Chris Van Hollen for Majority Chief.”
Sanders’ endorsement went additional than a handful of different Democrats, who’ve known as for a change within the social gathering management with out endorsing any specific candidate. Sen. Elissa Slotkin together with quite a few different incoming Democrats, fall into this class.
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer speaks throughout a press convention on the Democratic Senatorial Marketing campaign Committee in Washington, November 4, 2026.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
Schumer’s not sweating it
However Schumer, who led Senate Democrats for practically 10 years, doesn’t appear to be sweating it.
In a publish on social media Thursday night time that got here inside seconds of Van Hollen saying his intent to problem him, Schumer mentioned he’d already clinched the mandatory votes to be re-elected as chief for what could be a sixth two-year time period.
Democrats picked up a whopping eight seats throughout the midterm elections, one thing Schumer claims partial credit score for. When the brand new Senate is sworn in in January, Democrats will go from being the minority social gathering to holding at the very least a 55-45 seat majority. The Senate race in Alaska has but to be projected, however a Democratic victory there might safe Democrats a fair bigger share of seats.
“I welcome any dialogue about the way forward for our caucus and the vital work forward. I’m pleased with what we’ve achieved collectively — 55 seats and counting is a tremendous end result — and I’ve the votes to proceed serving as Democratic Chief,” Schumer mentioned.
Endorsements for Schumer adopted nearly instantly after.
“Chuck Schumer is likely one of the principal architects of probably the most profitable election in trendy historical past, and I see no motive to vary the management that helped make that success attainable,” Sen. Angus King, a Maine unbiased who caucuses with Democrats, mentioned in an announcement. “Why would you hearth the supervisor if you simply gained the World Sequence?”
Sen. Jacky Rosen speaks to the media after a closed door briefing on the Iran struggle earlier than the Senate Armed Companies Committee on the Capitol, March 10, 2026, in Washington.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada joined King and quite a few her colleagues in highlighting Schumer’s function in serving to Democrats to safe their resounding majority within the midterms.
“I’ve seen up shut how exhausting @SenSchumer works for our complete caucus. He did the work to ship what’s going to quickly be a 56-seat Senate majority in opposition to all odds, and I do know he has the expertise and the combat to proceed main our numerous caucus at this significant second. I’m proud to help him to be our Majority Chief,” Rosen posted on X.
Her fellow Nevada senator echoed that.
“Chief Schumer was instrumental in Democrats flipping 8 — quickly to be 9 — Senate seats and securing a historic majority. I shall be supporting him as our Democratic chief,” Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto mentioned in a publish.
All of it comes all the way down to closed-door elections
To clench the bulk chief title, a candidate might want to amass a easy majority of convention votes throughout a closed-door management election. Although no date for the election has formally been introduced, Democrats are anticipated to carry it in early December.
The management election is held by secret poll. Newly elected senators will get an opportunity to vote in that election however outgoing senators won’t forged ballots.
Relying on the ends in Alaska, both 55 or 56 Democrats will vote within the election. The winner of the election will want both 28 or 29 supporters, relying on the Alaska outcomes.
Senate Republicans elected their new management following a prolonged closed-door dialogue on Tuesday. Present Majority Chief John Thune will stay the highest Republican within the Senate main the GOP minority for the subsequent two years.
ABC Information’ Lalee Ibssa and Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.
